today’s date is the 3rd? what’s next, the 4th? the 5th? the minor fall, the major lift?
Honestly something that bothers me more than most things is having my compassion mistaken for naivety.
I know that another fish might eat this bullfrog right after I spend months rehabilitating it.
I know that turning a beetle back onto its legs won’t save it from falling over again when I walk away.
I know that there is no cosmic reward waiting for my soul based on how many worms I pick off a hot sidewalk to put into the mud, or how many times I’ve helped a a raccoon climb out of a too-deep trashcan.
I know things suffer, and things struggle, and things die uselessly all day long. I’m young and idealistic, but I’m not literally a child. I would never judge another person for walking by an injured bird, for ignoring a worm, or for not really caring about the fate of a frog in a pond full of, y’know, plenty of other frogs.
There is nothing wrong with that.
But I cannot cannot cannot look at something struggling and ignore it if I may have the power to help.
There is so much bad stuff in this world so far beyond my control, that I take comfort in the smallest, most thankless tasks. It’s a relief to say “I can help you in this moment,” even though they don’t understand.
I don’t need a devil’s advocate to tell me another fish probably ate that frog when I let it go, or that the raccoon probably ended up trapped in another dumpster the next night.
I know!!!! I know!!!!!!! But today I had the power to help! So I did! And it made me happy!
So just leave me alone alright thank u!!!!
THIS.
I heard a story about this, a parable I guess.
There was a big storm and a ton of starfish were washed onto the beach, stranded much further up than they could get back and beginning to bake in the post-storm sunshine. A little girl was walking down the beach, picking up starfish and throwing them back into the sea. Some guy comes up and asks her what she’s doing. “Saving the starfish,” she says.
He looks around at the huge beach and the hundreds of starfish, and says “You can’t possibly save them all. I’m afraid you’re not gonna make much of a difference.”
She throws another starfish back into the ocean, and replies “It made a difference to that one.”
Yeah, I mean, we know we can’t change all the things. But have you ever noticed how much better life is when you’re around people who change things when they can?
Kindness is a choice. Even if it’s small, it’s worth it.
This is what I’m talking about, when I say that kindness and compassion do not equate with ignorance, stupidity, or naivety. Being cynical does not make someone more intelligent or more worldly.
Kindness is not weakness.
Kindness is brave. Especially when you also know that your kindness might not be returned, may even be met with anger or cruelty. It’s reaching out with an open hand, knowing that it’s just as likely to be bitten as it is to be held.
Kindness is hard. If you can’t find it in yourself to be kind, then fine. But don’t make it more difficult for those that can.
Alien with a universal translator decides to test it on a cat.
Alien: Hello cat.
Cat: Hello strange-cat.
Alien: why do you call me strange-cat? I am an alien.
Cat: Everything is either cat, strange-cat, not-cat, or not-food.
Alien: I am not-cat.
Cat: Not-cat is food!
Alien: NO! I am Not-food!
Cat: You bigger than me, but you is not trying to eat me. You is very strange not-food. You say you is not-food, then you is not-food. You sure you not strange-cat? You act like strange-cat.
Alien: Nevermind. Can I ask you a question about your owner?
Cat: don't know this word.
Alien: The strange-cat you live with.
Cat: Yes, that is my strange-cat. I take care of them. We play. We sleep. They groom me and make me happy. They can do many things. They are a clever strange-cat. But they dont know how to hunt. Poor strange-cat starve without hunting. So I hunt them food. I bring them food. They share food. They are a good strange-cat, even if they don't know how to hunt.
Alien: Is that why you bring mice and birds to them?
Cat: I see not-cat. I hunt not-cat. I have food for me and my strange-cat.
Alien: But you don't need to do that.
Cat: I do. Me and Strange-cat would starve if I didnt hunt.
Alien: No, look, when your strange-cat takes away your not-cat, and they give food later, dont you ever see that it doesnt look, or smell like the thing you caught?
Cat: My strange-cat is clever. Even if they don't know how to hunt. They take the not-cat and make food.
Alien: Dont you ever notice that you always get the same amount of food even though it's been days, or weeks, since you last caught a little rat, or tiny bird?
Cat: You say many strange words Not-Food. I hunt not-cat. I bring hunt to my strange-cat to show them how to hunt. They take my hunt and they don't hunt, because they are strange-cat. But they make food, because they are clever strange-cat.
Alien: Your strange-cat is called a human. They are powerful predators. They can survive many dangerous things. They are perfectly capable of looking after themselves. They are the ones who look after you! They get the food, not you!
Cat: You are very silly Not-Food. If this is true, why do I need to hunt for them?
*Cat leaves because it is time to go eat with their Strange-cat*
Alien: May I ask what you say to your Strange-cat when you speak?
Cat: I try to teach my strange-cat. They are very clever to figure things out. But sometimes they are not so clever.
Alien: But they do not understand you?
Cat: My strange-cat tries very hard. They will mimic speech. It is very garbled, but they are trying.
Alien: Maybe they are speaking in a different language. Maybe they speak to other strange-cats
Cat: There are a lot of Strange-cats. And they all do not so clever things. Speaking to other Strange-cats would not be useful.
Alien: What not so clever things do they do?
Cat: The Strange-cats do not sleep enough and they willingly put themselves in water. And they do things that make them angry or upset. My poor Strange cat.
Alien: Maybe they like those things.
Cat: You are a very Strange not-food. I know they do not like these things. When young Strange-cats are young, they know this. But big Strange-cats teach them instead of Cats.
Alien: I admire your perseverance
Cat: I shall never give up that someday my Strange-cat will finally learn the speech.
That's an amazing addition. I love it.
I hope this is how my cats would act if they could talk lol
Honey bee with apple blossoms and a spray of wheat
commission sketch piece for Snejkha!
How traditional pitchforks were made.
It took 6 years starting from orienting branches
I love this so much
I would very much like to have one of these.
Writers?
If you have a chance, help preserve this nearly forgotten knowledge in your stories somewhere!
Wooden pitchforks are a bit safer than metal ones (little fear of rust causing lockjaw/death if you get poked), and when they’re grown like this, they’re far sturdier in many ways than anything assembled that isn’t metal...and they’re often lighter / better balanced than metal, too!
Looks like he’s all ready for Dr. Frankenstein’s winter crafting results.
Now this is interesting! *Adding pitchfork tree orchard to possible dnd locations*
I know we all know that toph loves to cuss, but I just realized
She had an extremely sheltered upbringing, then when she snuck out to fight, she went to the Earth Kingdom version of WWE, which, if it’s like real world WWE, is family entertainment, and she never spent time backstage, she came she fought she left
I don’t think Toph knows any swear words
She learns to swear from team avatar and becomes all powerful.
I don’t think Sokka or Katara would know swears either; they grew up in a village consisting of them, Gram Gram, and a bunch of little kids and their moms
I don’t know if the airbenders taught aang swears or not but I know he’s not really the type to swear anyway
Zuko, on the other hand, spent about 3 years of his life as a young angry teenager surrounded by sailors
Zuko when he joins Team Avatar
Toph’s REAL life-changing field trip
